Stretcher-support.



J. T. SHEETS.

STRETGHER SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.23, 1912.

1,142,276. Patented June 8, 1915.

UMTED s'r 'rns PATENT err ion.

' JESSE T. SHEETS, 0F COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

STBETCHERPSUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssE T. SHEETS, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Covington, county of Kenton, and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stretcher-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stretcher supports and particularlyto means for supporting stretchers in ambulances, police patrols or similar vehicles. 7

An object of this invention is to produce a stretcher support .which will hold a stretcher in a convenient and accessible position within the ambulance or similar vehicle, and which will not block the passage-way through the ambulance .when it, is relieved of the stretcher. V This and other objects I attain by means of a support embodying the features herein described and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application.

' In the drawings Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of a police patrol or similar vehicle equipped with a stretcher support embodying my invention; a pivotally mounted arm with which the support is provided is shown in the inoperative position by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the support shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmental perspective view of the support, showing the pivotally mounted arm moved to the inoperative position.

My invention contemplates providing a stretcher support which is so constructed that it will occupy less room after it has been relieved of the weight of the stretcher than it occupies while supporting the stretcher. This is accomplished in the illustrated embodiment of my invention by providing a pivotally mounted arm on the support, which is held in an upright or stretchersupporting position by the stretcher when it is in place on the support. The arm is so arranged that it falls to an inoperative or folded position when relieved of the weight of'the stretcher.

The stretcher support, as illustrated, is

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed October 23, 1912. Serial No. 727,279.

supporting arm 5 and on which a movable arm 6 is pivotally mounted. Each arm is bifurcated at its end so as to provide a recess or prong7, which is capable of receiving and holding one of the longitudinally extending members of the stretcher frame,

and which cooperate with each other to hold the stretcher in a horizontal position. The arm 6 is pivotally secured to the standard 4: at a point near its junction'with the arm 5, and the standard is provided with a slot 8 into which a tongue 9, formed on the arm 6, projects when the arm occupies an upright or operative position. The bottom of the slot 8 forms a stop or abutment for the arm 6 and is provided with a shoulder 11, which cooperates with a shoulder 12 formed on the tongue 9, in relieving the pivot pin 13 of a portion of the weight of the stretcher, when the arm is in the upright position.

The abutment, or bottom of the slot 8, is so The support illustrated is adapted to be I mounted on a bracket 14:, in such a position that its arm 5 extends across a longitudinally'extending side seat 15 of the vehicle. With the support in this position the arm 6 projects partially across the aisle or passage-Way between the seats 15 of the vehicle, when it is in the upright or operative position. The arm 6, however, is capable of folding, or turning downwardly about its pivot pin 13, so that the aisle between the seats is substantially clear when the support is relieved of the stretcher.

The standard 4 is provided with a collar 16, which is adapted to be supported on a coiled spring 17, located within a cylindrical sleeve 18, which forms a part of the bracket 14. The lower end of the standard 1 is surrounded by the coil spring and projects downwardly through the lower end of the sleeve, so that it forms a guide for the support as the support moves in response to the yielding of the spring. The support can be turned to any desired position relatively to across the adjacent side seat 15. The bracket illustrated is provided with a tongue. 19,

which is adapted to be inserted into a socket 20, which may be secured to one of the seats;

15 of the vehicle. With this arrangement the brackets may be removed from the vehicle when the stretcher supports are not in use.

The operation of supporting a stretcher on the supports is somewhat as follows: As the attendants, bearing the stretcher,enter the vehicle the arms 6 of the supports, located at each end of the vehicle, occupy the inoperative position, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. and consequently the aisle between the seats 15 is substantially clear. Each attendantplaces one longitudinally eX- tending member 21 of the stretcher 22 on the prong 7 of the arm 5 of the adjacent support. He then raises the arm 6 to the upright position and sets the other member 21 of the stretcher in place on it, as illustrated in Fig. l. This is easily accomplished since each attendant relieves one hand when he places one member 21, of the stretcher, on the arm 5- of one of the supports. The weight of the stretcher, in-place on the supports, is transmitted to the coil spring 17 and consequently the stretcher rides easily in the vehicle. The weight of a stretcher on the support, or the inward pull, occasioned by the weight borne by the stretcher, holds each arm 6 in the upright position, so that its tongue 9 is forced into the slot 8 and against the abutment, or the bottom of the slot. The cooperation between the tongue 9 and the slot 8 of each support prevents the arm 6 from moving laterally, relatively to the arm 5 and therefore strengthens the support and relieves the pin 18 of cross bending strains.

In removing the stretcher the attendants merely raise it off of the prongs 7 and this permits both the arms 6 to drop to the folded or inoperative position, so as to clear the passage or aisle between the seats.

In accordance with the United States patent statutes I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention,

but I desire it to be understood that various changes modifiactionsand substitutions may be made in the details of construction of the device illustrated, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What claim is: 1. A stretcher support comprising, a rigidly 'mounted stretcher-supporting arm for engaging one side of a stretcher, and a pivotal'ly mounted movable arm for engaging the other side" ofthe stretcher, the pivotal point of said movable-arm being'located becated as to engage said; arm when the arm is in its operative position.

3. A stretcher support comprising a standard having an abutment formed thereon, a supporting arm rigidly mounted on. the.

standard and adapted to support one side of v a'stretcher', a movable supporting arm pivotally mounted on the standard and adapted to support the other side'of the stretcher, said abutment being located between arms so as to engage the movable arm when it is in its upright position' 4.. A stretcher support comprisi'nga stationary arm having aslot formed therein and adapted to support one side of a stretcher, a movable arm pivotally secured to the stationary arm and adapted to support the other side of the stretcher, said movable arm having a tongue formed therein and adapted to engage the slot to hold said movable arm in alinement with said stationary arm. 1

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this eighteenth day of October, 1912.

' JESSE T. SHEETS.

Witnesses:

E. WV. MOCALLISTER,

W. THORNTON BOGERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

